Everything Has An End
by teaandhemlock
Summary: There comes a point where you have to call it quits. Arthur has finally hit that point, Antonio hasn't.


Stolen moments, even now. THey broke apart panting neither looking at the other. "We have to stop meeting like this." It sounds like a line from a movie and it's funny, to some extent, so Antonio laughs. "It's not a joke," his companion clarifies. The smile on Antonio's face flickers, fades.

"I know," he answers him. "It just sounded like one. It's not the first time you've said it."

"It's the first time I've meant it."

"That's what you said last time," he pointed out. The reminder was not received well. THere was no obvious physical reaction but Arthur's body language changed. Antonio had known him long enough to see it. It was too late to stop him from closing himself off and so Antonio didn't bother to try.

"I'm serious this time. I can't keep doing this."

"Why?"

"You know exactly why! The same reason you should have stopped already too." With fists clenched and brows furrowed it was clear the Englishman was running out of patience. He didn't like this to drag out. He much prefered clean breaks. Say what has to be said and let it be over with. He was that way in business and in his personal life.

Antonio nodded, acknowledging the truth of the statement, and his always demeanor became more serious as well. "So then it's too late to say we should give this a chance?" It had been his intention to bring that up this time. He'd hoped for a better moment to do it than this.

"What is 'this' exactly?" Arthur gestured between them as he said it.

"Us. What we-"

"And what exactly do we have?" Once Arthur's patience was gone his manners left too. The more annoyed he was the more likely he was to talk over someone. "A history of regrettable one night stands? A list of-"

"A weekend." The word's died on Arthur's lips and his growing anger was rerouted into hesitance.

"You said yourself that was a mistake," he reminded him but he didn't seem very sure about it.

"I said it because it was what you wanted to hear, not because I thought it was true." For just a moment it looked like Arthur wanted to fight that but he knew it was the truth.

"One weekend isn't enough to risk this much for," Arthur reasoned.

"It could be."

"It isn't." Now Antonio was beginning to think that Arthur was serious about calling this off. They had both also known that it was a bad idea but neither of them had ever pushed this hard to insist it wasn't worth the risk.

"Why?"

"Because this is more complex than one weekend! One weekend doesn't change our entire history together! Why should we risk being happy for something that only works half the time?"

"We've never tried making it work. Maybe it could."

"I'm asking you if it's worth giving up what you already have." There was silence before Antonio answered, a little quieter than before.

"I don't know," he admitted. Satisfied with that answer Arthur began to calm down.

"Neither do I. What I do know is that I'm happy with Alfred, and anyone would have to be blind not to see that you're happy with Lovino. I don't find it fair to lie to either of them. I'm not comfortable with it." He crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall that he'd been pushed against earlier.

"I don't think love has to be limited to one person." They didn't ever actually use that word with each other. Not except for once before in the weekend they'd spent together. That didn't make it any less true. Antonio at least was certain that what he felt was love. He'd had a few hundred years to mull it over and it was the only answer he could settle on.

"I think it should be. I don't think we should call what we have love." Arthur was much more hesitant to use the word. He always was, no matter who he said it to.

"Then call it whatever you like, but I know what it is. I know that I can love more than one person." Right as Arthur went to speak again Antonio decided he was sick of talking. He moved in again to kiss him, and managed it for only a second before Arthur pushed him away. "One more time and then we'll be finished forever. One more kiss at least."

"No. I don't want to have another thing to lie about."

"Then stop lying! No one is telling you to lie! I haven't lied about this, about what happens between us. When it happens, I tell him. That's all it takes!" Antonio was never really one to shout out of anger but he was determined to get through to Arthur even if it was just for a half a second. He couldn't tell whether it worked or not, because Arthur had shut down. He was hiding his emotions and thoughts behind a mask, and Antonio had never been fantastic at reading people to begin with.

"I highly doubt he's fine with it. He might say it, but I don't think he would be." Arthur didn't really know Lovino all that well but for what he did know he could guess that the Italian wouldn't actually be happy about what amounted to cheating. "I'm done, Antonio. I said what I wanted." He pushed off the wall and Antonio grabbed his arm.

"You're just going to walk away?"

"Yes. I told you, I'm finished. We're finished." He tried to move and Antoni's grip on his arm tightened.

"Say it once and I'll let you go."

"Antonio-"

"Say it. Say and then we're finished, I swear."

Silence. It seemed to drag on forever before Arthur finally relented, very purposely keeping his gaze forward and away from Antonio.

"I love you."There was no reaction for a moment, and so Arthur turned to look at him. "I said it, now let go." Antonio released his grip on him, and he seemed to be thinking something over. "What?"

"No. We're done here. I hope this makes you happy."

Both of them wanted to say something, that much was clear. There was plenty more that needed to be said between them but a moment passed, and then another, and neither of them spoke. Finally, Arthur turned away again.

"I hope it does too. I'll see you at the meeting next month." It was an unsatisfying end for both of them and there was a moment when Antonio expected it to be a very bad joke, but Arthur walked away and he didn't look back. When he was certain that he was gone and they wouldn't bump into each other Antonio left too.

A/N: This is just something I wrote very quickly for one of my favourite rare pairs. Not beta'd or anything so I'm sure there are some mistakes.


End file.
